University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School September 2018 Influencing Gender Specific eP rceptions of the Factors Affecting Women’s Career Advancement Opportunities in the United States Kevin C. Taliaferro University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Women's Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Taliaferro, Kevin C., "Influencing Gender Specific eP rceptions of the Factors Affecting Women’s Career Advancement Opportunities in the United States" (2018). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7582 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Influencing Gender Specific Perceptions of the Factors Affecting Women’s Career Advancement Opportunities in the United States by Kevin C. Taliaferro A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration Department of Business MUMA College of Business University of South Florida Co-Major Professor: Lisa Gaynor, Ph.D. Co-Major Professor: John Townsend, DBA Richard Will, Ph.D. Robert Hammond, DBA Date of Approval: June 8, 2018 Keywords: Equality, Workplace, Gender, Culture, MeToo, #MeToo Copyright© 2018, Kevin C. Taliaferro DISCLAIMER All statements of fact, analysis, or opinion are the author’s and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or any of its components, or the U.S. Government. DEDICATION This research is dedicated to: My Mom and Dad for lovingly pushing me beyond my self-imposed limits to make me strong, independent, and unafraid of life’s challenges and adventures. Sisters Kelly and Kim, brother-in-law Tom, and brother Gene, for always being there to pick me up when life knocked me down. Kim, my soulmate and best friend of 22-years, for keeping me grounded and providing love, support, and a strong opinion, no matter what. Sons Steve, Logan, and Chase, for teaching me much as they grew from challenging little boys to strong, capable men. Most of all, it is dedicated to my special and loving daughters, Sophie and Brandi, and granddaughter Emilia; all of whom I absolutely worship. I pray this study benefits you the most. I love you all…may God bless you and keep you! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Gill, Dr. Mullarkey, Michele, Lauren, Donna and all the faculty and staff for making this program possible and ensuring every student has the greatest chance at success. Thank you to Dr. Steve Oscher for chairing the dissertation defense. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Dr. Lisa Gaynor and Dr. John Townsend, the most encouraging, supportive, and helpful committee co-chairs imaginable; and to committee members, Dr. Rick Will and Dr. Rob Hammond, for all their advice, guidance, and direction. A big thanks goes out to Ryan Thurman for his excellent statistical consulting and guidance. A special thank you to my “Lucky-7” dissertation teammates, Janelle, Christina, and Mojo for keeping me motivated and focused during the tough times. Thank you to all my 2018 cohort mates who made this program interesting, fun, and enjoyable all the way through. You have earned a permanent place in my heart. To my family, who I love more than life itself, thank you for your unconditional love, support, and inspiration. Most of all, thank God for giving me the ability, strength, and endurance to complete this program. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................v Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 Research Questions and Units of Analysis ..........................................................................4 Substantive Focus ................................................................................................................6 Research Design and Methodology .....................................................................................7 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................................10 Research Approach ............................................................................................................11 Sociological Factors ...........................................................................................................14 Beliefs ....................................................................................................................16 Biases .....................................................................................................................19 Stereotypes (Choices) ............................................................................................25 Psychological Factors ........................................................................................................30 Emotions and Attitudes ..........................................................................................30 Confidence .............................................................................................................34 Competitive Nature ................................................................................................37 Performance ...........................................................................................................39 Interactions and Desires .........................................................................................42 Relationships ..........................................................................................................47 Physiological Factors .........................................................................................................52 Hormones ...............................................................................................................52 Instincts ..................................................................................................................54 Summary ............................................................................................................................55 Chapter Three: Qualitative Study 1 ...............................................................................................57 Statement of Research Questions.......................................................................................58 Research Method ...............................................................................................................59 Study Design ......................................................................................................................59 Type Data Collected ..........................................................................................................60 Analysis..............................................................................................................................61 Positivist Assessment .............................................................................................63 Interpretivist Assessment .......................................................................................68 Results ................................................................................................................................75 i Chapter Four: Qualitative Study 2 .................................................................................................78 Statement of Research Questions.......................................................................................81 Theories Related to Research.............................................................................................82 Research Method ...............................................................................................................83 Study Design ......................................................................................................................83 Type Data Collected ..........................................................................................................84 Analysis..............................................................................................................................84 Results ................................................................................................................................96 Chapter Five: Quantitative Study 3................................................................................................99 Statement of Research Questions.......................................................................................99 Research Method .............................................................................................................100 Study Design ....................................................................................................................101 Type Data Collected ........................................................................................................101